Congrats, Christiane; Thanks, ABC!

March 19, 2010

WMC Statement on Christiane Amanpour Hosting “This Week”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Tristin Aaron, Media Director
Women’s Media Center
(office) 212-563-0680; (cell) 718 938 4078
tristin@womensmediacenter.com
March 19, 2010 (New York, NY) – The Women’s Media Center celebrates a banner moment for women in media: yesterday’s announcement that Christiane Amanpour will host ABC’s Sunday morning national news show, “This Week.” With a weekly viewership of 2.2 million,“This Week” is the third highest-rated of the ‘Sunday pundit’ shows, widely thought to be among the most influential of all political media.
WMC President Jehmu Greene commented, “This is a moment we have worked for, and a moment we believe is part of the much-needed transformation of media. For too long, our media has siloed and marginalized the voices of women and people of color. To have a woman of Iranian descent hosting one of the most important news platforms in American journalism is a great step forward.”
The Women’s Media Center has long supported the talent and integrity of Christiane Amanpour. A winner at our first annual WMC Media Awards last year, Ms. Amanpour also spoke on our panel, “From Soundbites to Solutions: Bias, Punditry and The Press,” where she addressed the responsibilities and weight of journalists. This panel was held at the Paley Center in June of 2008 and was co-sponsored by our partners at The White House Project and The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education.
While some media critics have pointed to Ms. Amanpour’s international expertise as a possible “risk” for ABC’s signature national political news show, the WMC knows that her appointment to one of the top jobs in the field can only excite and inspire a national audience who for too long has seen only white men helming that programming. Congratulations to Christiane Amanpour and thank you to ABC for embracing our core value of promoting women in the media. It is vital that women be an equal part of the media landscape, as decision makers on what stories are told and whose perspectives are shown. We urge our constituents to watch and support “This Week With Christiane Amanpour.”
To speak with WMC President Jehmu Greene, or to book other experts on women in media, please contact Tristin Aaron, (212) 563-0680, tristin@womensmediacenter.com.